How to Keep Your Pillows from Getting Misshapen

Updated: Sep. 22, 2022

Fix your lumpy pillow problem and finally get a good night's sleep.

Lumpy-pillowLuFeeTheBear/Shutterstock

How to Fix Lumpy Pillows: Fluff Your Pillows Every Morning

A little maintenance goes a long way with your pillows, so it’s important to fluff pillows each morning to prevent them from getting misshapen or lumpy.

How to Fluff Pillows and Down Pillows

Push a pillow’s sides from opposite ends and do so at the top and bottom, pushing the stuffing or down back to the middle of the pillow.

How to Fix Lumpy Pillows: Put Them in the Dryer

If you’ve wondered how often should you change your pillows, you should know you should put your pillows in the dryer at least once a month to keep them from getting lumpy. Here’s a little secret to get your pillows like the ones in hotels.

Group-of-tennis-ballsMakosh/Shutterstock

Fix Lumpy Pillows: Beat Them With Tennis Balls

Get lumps out of pillows by throwing them in the dryer with tennis balls. The tennis balls will knock out the lumps and fluff your pillows. The tennis ball trick is also great for comforters, too!

Fix Lumpy Pillows: Air Dry Them and Air Them Out Regularly

Air drying can do a more complete job of drying a pillow and when you air dry them, make sure to fluff them several times and turn them after you’ve laid them on a table or on a clothes line.

Get Rid of Lumps in Pillows: Remove Stuffing

You can always remove the stitching on one side of a pillow, remove some of the stuff and rearrange it back in the pillow. Once you’re done fluffing the stuffing, replace it and sew up the pillow.

pillows on bedHXDBZXY/SHUTTERSTOCK

What is Inside a Pillow Anyway?

There are several types of pillows available from down, which is just goose or duck feathers. But some people have moved toward foam pillows while many pillows are filled with soft, spun silk polyester.

Recycling Pillows and Down Pillows

Pillows aren’t recyclable and most thrift stores won’t take them because of hygienic reasons but you can repurpose your old pillows by using them as dog beds. Get more ideas on repurposing thing at home with these 80 ideas. Otherwise you’ll have to toss old pillows in the trash.

How Often Should You Change Your Pillows

Here’s how often you should wash your pillows. Hint, you should be washing them way more often. With down pillows it’s best to run them through two rinse cycles to remove any remaining soap and two spin cycles to remove as much water as possible. Dry them on a low heat setting and stop the dryer to fluff the pillows every 20 minutes.

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How to Stuff a Pillow

You can find polyester fiberfill online, this is Amazon’s best seller, or at arts and crafts stores. When you’re ready to stuff a pillow, you should remove the stitching at one end and tease apart the stuff as you put it into the pillow to prevent lumps.

How Long Should a Pillow Last

Down pillows can last up to 20 years if properly cared for, which means keeping it in a zippered pillow protector and a pillowcase.

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